Jordyn has been grinding hard this basketball season and now that summer is here she's only going harder. She happily attends basketball camp after basketball camp, practice after practice...You can really see how much she loves her sport.
With all these added practices and work outs come an increase in how much she eats or snacks. We all know how important it is for kids to eat healthy well balanced meals but what about snacking throughout the day?
Now obviously i'm not talking about an hour long practice and then going home, there really isn't much need for an energy boosting snack at that point.......but Jordyn spent all of last week at a 6 hour a day basketball camp. This upcoming week she will spend the weekend at another basketball camp. Over the summer she, like many youth athletes, spends hours practicing and exerting energy so it's  important for me to pack her snacks that helped re-fuel and re-energize.
Unfortunately we live in a time where there is an overwhelming amount of snack options in grocery stores geared towards youth athletes and it can be hard to figure out what exactly we should really give our kiddos.
 I'm no nutrition expert but I have been asked several times what snacks I pack for Jordyn. I believe in a whole foods, eating healthy lifestyle and have a few grab and go snack options that I put in Jordyns lunch bag so i'm going to share them with you!
The most important thing when picking snacks being sure your kiddo is getting the proper nutrients they need, which in the case of youth athletes is carbs and proteins.
Carbohydrates are an extremely important fuel source because they provide the glucose that is used for energy.
 Proteins help build and repair muscles which is vital for recovery after extended periods of exercise.

So, here are a few of my go to grab & go snack options for Jordyn!

Bananas- Bananas contain anywhere from 23-35% carbohydrates depending on the size of the fruit. They're a good source of potassium, vitamin b6 and vitamin c. They are also a good source of magnesium which can help with muscle relaxation after working out.

KIND Healthy Grain Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters- I am a HUGE fan of KIND, everything from their bars to their granola is delicious and made with simple ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. This granola is made with 5 super grains; oats, millet,quinoa,amaranth, and buckwheat which provide essential nutrients like B vitamins & minerals. It is also a great source of protein at 10 grams per serving!

Justins Honey Peanut Butter and Banana Chip Snack Pack-  I love a good snack pack. You guys remember those processed cheese product and cracker stick packs we used to eat as children? Yeah, these are nothing like that!...These are actually good and good for you! They're packed full of good stuff; 3 grams of fiber, 5-6 grams of protein, and is also made with clean ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. The banana chips are the perfect mix of salty & sweet which is perfect for satisfying cravings but my favorite part is the packaging. So easy to grab one and throw it into Jordyns bag.

Larabar bars & bites- Larabar snack are all natural, made from 100% whole foods. Most flavors only have 4-5 ingredients which mostly consist of unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices. They are free of preservative free and contain no artificial flavors! Admittedly some Larabars are pretty high in natural sugars but they do satisfy the cravings for something sweet while steering clear of candy bars and processed snacks so while they are all natural, they are still an "in moderation snack. 

Slammers Superfood Snack Pouches Ok not only does Jordyn love these snack pouches but I LOVE them as well...so much so that I admittedly sneak them and eat them myself. Honestly, I have one in my purse right now! Slammers snack pouches are designed to "fuel the fun" with organic fruits, veggies, and vitamins. There is a wide range of flavor combinations but each pouch has the same thing in common; they are packed with organic fruits, veggies, and nutrients that are good and good for you! There are even protein packed pouches that offer 7grams of protein.

I hope some of these quick grab and go snacks help when trying to figure out what snacks you should reach for when packing your kiddos sports bags.
The most important thing for us is that healthy snacking is an extension of our healthy eating lifestyle so it's important to keep snacks like these along with other healthy options on hand even during the off season.

Xo,
Jeanice :)


*Big thank you to Slammers Snacks who inspired this post by sending Jordyn Slammers Snack Pouches to try out.

Perfect pound cake and homemade whipped cream

Happy Friday, lovers!

A few weeks ago Jordyn and I made some poundcake, topped off with some homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries. 

It was delicious. Smooth,rich, buttery, somewhat dense but also soft, and not too sweet. The whipped cream is perfectly light, fluffy, and creamy! 

And, since its Friday and because you all be craving some delicious cake, i'm sharing the recipe with you, so grab your littles and start making some memories!

FOR THE CAKE YOU'LL NEED:

• 3 cups all purpose flour.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup softened butter.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• 1 cup milk.
• 5 large eggs.
• 2 1/2 cups sugar.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla.

WHAT YOU DO:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your baking pan.
• Sift together your flour, salt, and baking powder-set aside.
• in your stand mixer bowl or large bowl, mix together your sugar and your butter. 
• Add in your vanilla and eggs and beat on medium for about 5 mins.
• Turn mixer on slow and slowly add in flour mixture and milk. Beat until smooth.
• Pour mixture into pan and bake 55-60 mins or until golden brown on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Allow to cool before topping with your homemade whipped cream and sliced strawberries

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream.
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar.-sifted.
• 1teaspoon vanilla.

WHAT YOU DO:

• place your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 15 mins. Heck, you can even throw your whipping cream in there too. The key to great whipped cream is to make sure everything is REALLY cold. 
• Pour heavy whipping cream into your stand or hand mixer bowl and whip until soft peaks begin to form.
• Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Mix until your peaks stand without immediately falling. Don't over mix as you run the risk of turning your whipped cream to butter and while we love butter......thats not what we are going for.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

 Jordyn and I aren't big fans of overly sweet cakes or tons of frosting so the combination of the poundcake and the whipped cream literally makes the perfect dessert for us. 

I hope you all hop into the kitchen with your little ones and give this recipe, or any recipe for that matter, a try!! 

Happy Weekend Xo,

Jeanice :)

No churn watermelon sherbet

Happy National watermelon day!

While i'm not a huge fan of watermelon, it happens to be Jordyns all time favorite fruit so of course, we couldn't let national watermelon day pass without whipping up some sort of treat....enter, the no churn 2 ingredient watermelon sherbet! Ridiculously easy, lightly sweet, and creamy, it's the perfect fix for this HOT summer weather.

But first....a few quick facts about this summer melon...I mean, what is national watermelon day without some little fun facts, so here they are;

• The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
• Watermelon is 92% water.
• Watermelon's official name is Citrullus Lanatus of the botanical family Curcurbitaceae. ... 
• By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.

Ok...moving on. Here's what you need for this yummy watermelon sherbet!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 SEEDLESS WATERMELON.....duh.

1 can sweetened condensed milk. 

WHAT YOU DO:

1: Cube your watermelon and toss into your blender.

2: add in 1 can sweetened condensed milk and blend until smooth.

3: pour blended mixture into a loaf pan and freeze until solid.

4: ENJOY!

Xo, Jeanice

Fruity Pebble Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Jordyn and I have been hanging out in the kitchen a lot this summer, whipping up fun recipes is one of our favorite things to do together. This weekend we whipped up these Fruity Pebble ice cream sandwiches. 

* Sidenote: Ice cream sandwiches are my jam....like, if I could only eat ice cream one way for the rest of my life, it'd be in ice cream sandwich form.*

Anyway, these are like regular ice cream sandwiches...but better...and they start with a base of regular   "Rice Krispies" treats...but better, because you know, Fruity Pebbles and whatnot.

By now we all know how to make cereal treats, at least we should...unless you're a recluse thats been living under a rock for the past 20000 years. So, let me break down the basics for all my recluses out there. 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 bag Marshmallows I used Kraft jumbo marshmallows.

1 box  Fruity Pebbles ( ok, 5 cups..but really,...the whole box.)

5 tablespoons butter.

YOU'LL ALSO NEED

Cookie sheet ( you'll want to use a thin one.)

Non-stick cooking spray or foil.

WHAT YOU DO:

1: spray pan with nonstick spray and/or cover with foil.

2: Melt together marshmallows and butter over medium heat.

3: Once completely melted remove from heat and fold in cereal one cup at a time.

4: scoop into pan and flatten using your hands. ( if you spray your hands with non-stick spray less cereal will stick to your hands.)

5: Let cool.

Ok, so now that we've got the basics out of the way...lets move on to the real star here...assembling the ice cream sandwich. 

FOR THE SANDWICHES YOU'LL NEED:

Large round cookie cutter ( if you don't have one a glass will do the trick.)

Ice cream flavor of your choice. I used a pint of vanilla. 

WHAT YOU DO.
Use your cookie cutter to cut rounds out of your cereal treats.
Scoop your ice cream and sandwich together.
I used a pint and I just cut through the packaging to make perfect rounds of ice cream and then peeled off packaging from each round.

These are so fun and bright and colorful, Jordyn had a blast making them. We can't wait to try them with cocoa pebbles or even...oooohhh, cinnamon toast crunch! Really the possibilities are endless. Go.....Grab your kiddos, get them in the kitchen and whip up some of these babies! I promise they'll be a hit!

Xo, Jeanice. 

Red, white, and blueberry;Patriotic pancakes.

Happy 4th, guys!!

I wanted to share a quick and easy breakfast idea to help kick off the holiday.

This patriotic pancake stack is equally gorgeous and delicious, the perfect breakfast to get you going.

I mean, they're really just regular pancakes with fruit and whipped cream but patriotic pancakes just sound so much special right?

These aren't homemade pancakes or anything, I used Bisquick instant pancake mix and store-bought whipped cream because these were really last minute but lets be honest, homemade whipped cream would've made these 100x's better......next time.....next time.

Anyyyywayyy.....All you do is make your pancakes (duh) and stack. In between each stack spread a little whipped cream and add your fruit then sprinkle with a little powdered sugar.

Serve immediately or keep in the fridge for a few hours. ( the bananas will turn brown over time and won't look as pretty but will still be delicious.)

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!
Xo, Jeanice. 

sweet and tangy patriotic salad.

Fruit is probably my favorite thing about summer. Seriously nothing beats bright, fresh, yummy fruit when the Vegas temps are at a scorching 112 degrees, except maybe a bright, crisp, tangy, fruit salad. 

This quick and easy summer salad is perfect for light lunch and since it's bursting with bright reds, whites, and blues, it's perfect for any upcoming 4th of July get togethers. 

This salad is made with fresh strawberries, blueberries, crumbled feta, and a delicious strawberry balsamic dressing. While this salad is delicious on its own, it would also be amazing with some herb rubbed chicken breast on top! yum.

I used a bottle strawberry balsamic because I wanted to make this as quick and easy as possible but you could very well make your own. 

Simply toss your fruits, cheese, and dressing with your greens of choice ( I used baby spinach.) and enjoy. 

Xo, Jeanice 

Watermelon Agua Fresca

When you think of Summer....you think of watermelon. 

Watermelon is king of summer and takes full reign over most recipes during the season.

Jordyns bestfriend is coming over to hang out for a few hours today and they plan on playing outside, so I whipped up some yummy, sugar free watermelon agua fresca as a sweet way to keep them cool and hydrated. 

What exactly is agua fresca? 

Agua Fresca is spanish for "fresh water". It's made by blending fruit and water to make light, refreshing drinks. Some people add sugar to their agua frescas, I chose this naturally sweet fruit so I skipped the added sugar. 

You only need 4 ingredients for this sweet drink. 

Really, you only need 2 but I added some lime and mint to give it an extra little kick.

Start with your watermelon. Slice it open and admire the gorgeousness that is the king of summer. 

I mean, come on...if that bright red juiciness isn't a symbol that summer is here....what is?

Dice your watermelon and add 6 cups of it to the blender with the juice of 1/2 a lime. 

Blend until smooth. 

Strain your liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher. 

Add 3/4 cup water, some lime slices, and a few sprigs of fresh mint and stir! 

Refrigerate for 30 mins to an hour and then serve over ice.

This is such an easy drink to make and every sip is so refreshing. 

And I mean, if you choose to add a splash of vodka.....it'll be our little secret. ;)

Xo, Jeanice 

Caramel apple dippers.

Jordyn brought home straight A's and all E's on her progress report so of course we celebrated by making something together.

 It needed to be quick and easy because we still have a bunch to get done today.

We went with caramel apple dippers. These were so fun and simple to make. Jordyn had a blast getting messy with the caramel.

All you wanna do is slice up some apples, grab some caramel dip and your favorite toppings and dip away. 

We used:

rainbow sprinkles, marshmallows, chocolate chips, graham crackers, and sugar crystal sprinkles.

 After we dipped them we just popped them in the fridge and will have them for dessert after dinner. 

Peace and Love,

Xo, Jeanice :)

Banana Pudding.

Banana pudding is one of those desserts that I don't really make very often but when I do, I remember how freaking delicious it is. 

I'm a big sight eater. 

I love when things look as wonderful as they taste which is why I love using this recipe for my banana pudding. 

It just looks so gorgeous.

The recipe I use is the Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding recipe by PAULA DEEN

You'll need:

6-8 sliced bananas

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk.

1 8oz packaged of cream cheese, softened.

1 5 ounce box of instant pudding mix. ( the recipe calls for french vanilla but all we had was vanilla so we went with it.)

1 12 ounce container of cool whip, thawed.

What you do. 

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Read more at: Foodnetwork.com

I like to have layers to my pudding. So we do cookies, bananas, pudding. Cookies, bananas, pudding. Cookies, banana, pudding. 

Crushed cookies on top and then top and whole cookies on top of the crushed ones. 

This is such a delicious dessert but its  one of those "once in a while" things just because of the not so healthy ingredients. 

But, we all deserve a little indulgence once in a while so whip yourself some up and enjoy ;)

Peace and Love.

Xo, Jeanice.